Engine-starter.



Patented Apr. 25, v1911.y

ENGINE STARTER. APPLIGATION FILED .11111.14, 1911.v

1. W. vHODGKINSON.

PERCY HODGKINSON, OF ROCHESTER, NEW' YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FARNUM F. DORSIEY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

EN GINE-STARTER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 14, 1911. Serial No. 602,744.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERGY IV. sorua citizen of the United States', residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine- Starters, of Which' the follotving is a specification.

This invention relates to means, of the manually-operated type, for starting internal-combustion engines employed in connection with motor-vehicles.

For the purpose just referred to it is com-- mon 'to employ a crank mounted upon the front end of the vehicle and operating, through suitable clutching devices, torotate the engine-shaft when the crank is Aturned by hand. To hold the crank normally out 'of engagement with the engine itis common to employ a spring which acts tothrust the crank forward in its bearing and disconnect the clutch-members.l In using a device ot this kind the crank must be forced vrearwardly in its bearing, against the resistance of the spring, to engage the engine-shaft, and this .operation isinore or less inconvenient, since Vit cannot usually be donc by thrusting rearwardly against-the crankhandle, owing to the tendency ot' the crankshaft to bind inits bearing. This inconvenience is particularly great yWhere a spring is employed of sutlicient strength to prevent the crank from rattling when the vvehicle is running.

One object lof the present in'vention'is to improve devices of the kind ust described by providing simple and convenient means by which operative connection between the crank and the engine-shaft may be secured when required Without the necessity ot pressing the crank'itself rearwardly in the -manner ]ust described. To this end I employ a. flexible member, such-as a cable or chain, Which is `connected with the cranio shaft, or With the clutch-mechanism there.- on, in such a manner that When the flexible member is pulled it forces the clutch-mechanism into operative position against the oppositionv of the, spring. This iiexiblemem-l ber extends from the clutch-mechanism to a suitable guide, vor guides, at or near the sideof the vehicle, and extends to a position in front `of the vehicle and atone side ot the starting-crank, Where itl terminates in a handle ofk convenient form. :ir-

Honorinerangement the operator grasps the crank; handle in one hand, and at the same time pulls upon the flexible member with the other hand, thereby throwing theV crank into operative connection with the engine, Which' may then be started by turning the crank.

A further object of zth'e invention is to simplify and improve the starting mechavnism by combining in the flexible member just described the functions of throwing the' clutch mechanism into operation, when the engine is to be started, and of supporting the handleof the crank when the crank is not in use. To this end I provide t-he flexi ble member beforereiierred to with a sleeve or other device adapted to be removably secured to the handle of the starting-crank. This, sleeve may also constitute the handle, before referred to, for pulling upon the flexible member. By this arrangement I dispense with the `sleeve and strap commonly employed for the purpose of connecting the crank-handle with the frame to hold the crank in or near not in use.

A third object of the invention is to protect the operator of the starting-crank againstY the danger of reverse rota-tion ot'` the starting-crank due to back-kicking on the part of the engine. To this end I einploy a manually-operable device. as before described, for throwing the crank into eeulnection with theengine, and I also connect this manually-operable device with the igni tion-mechanism of the engine in auchamanner that when the' devrce is operated 1t actsl to shift the time oi ignition of the engine into a lposition of late ignition, at the same vtime that it throws the crank into operative connection.

` In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a plan-vienY of 'mechanism embodying the present invention, `together .with a portion of the automobile in connect-ion With which it is used; and Fig. 2 is a front-elevation, in section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, show ing, in detail, the'bell-crank lever and the parts immediately connected therewith.

In the drawings the invention is shown` as applied to an automobile of ordinary con* ',struction, only soy much of the automobile being shown as is necessary for an understanding of the-invention. Fig. lv shows a portion of the engine 3 with the engineshaft 4 projecting from the forward. end o v iront frame-member 6` of the automobile.

The starting-crank 7 is provided with a handle 8, and is provided with an integral vcrank-shaft journaled, in the usual manner, in a bearing 9 on the front frame-member 6; The crank-shaft is free both to rowhich is provided tate 'and to slide longitudinally in-the bearing- 9. Upon lthe inner end of the crankshaft -isixed the usual clutch-member 11, with notches 12 adapted a pin 13.- The pin 13 is theengi-ne-shaft, and constltutesv a clutch-member cop'erating" with the clutch-member 11." The. notches 12 are beveled at one side, 'as illustrated, so that whenthe engine begins vtooperate the pin 13 `rides automatically out' of the notches. In'placejof. the usual spring for holding the starting'crank normally in inoperative poitjilon, I employ mechanism comprising a e a bearing member to cooperate with l5 fixedto the frame-- gvmember 6.; This bell-crank lever has two laterallyprojecting arms, .terminatingin 'lugs 16 which enter the groove in. the clutchmember 11. 'A springy 17 is coiled about the pivot 2O of the bell-',crank'lever, and one end Vof this spring'engages the lever so that the spring acts normallyto swing thelever to the right, thereby moving the clutch-- member 11 andthe crank-shaft forwardly,

-so as to hold the clutc'lrmembers out of engagement. To throw the clutchmembers into engagement-,the bell-crank lever has a rearwardly into engagement with the guide 1 9 the vflexible member rearwardly-projecting arm 1-1, lwhich is ac tuated by means of a flexible member 18 con-v sis'ting. 1n ,a suitable cord, cable or chain.

This flexible 'member extends from the bell- Qcrank lever to a tubular. guide'19 mounted on the side frame-member 5.. .From the passes for- Wardly to a second guide 21, which -is located a-t"thefront of the vehicle and at one side of the lstarting-crank. At theforward end of the Hexi'ble member is a manually-operable `member or handle 422, by. means of which the flexible member may be pulled to operate the clutch-mechanism. The handle 22 is in the form of a sleeve. so that vit may be also employed, as shown in Fig. 1. as a holder for the crank when the latter is not in use, the sleeve being slipped over the handle 8 of the crank and holding the crank in substantially horizontal position.

When the engine is to be started the operator removes the sleeve 22 from the crankhandle, holds it in his left hand, and pulls upon the flexible member 18'. Through this operation the bell-crank lever is rocked to the left. and the clutch-member 11 is moved nn 13. The operator now turns the startiiigcrank, thereby rotating the engine-shaft and -cranl lever 14, Whichfis pivoted in with -the mechanism lignition-apparatus of `the of the notches 12', causes the clutch-member 11 to be thrust forward and the bell-crank lever to be rocked to the right. To prevent .a severe pull upon the flexible member at this time, a spring 25 is interposed between the latter and the bell-crank lever. This spring also facilitates the application of the A sleeve 22 to the crank handle. The looped Aend 23 of the Hexible member is secured to the spring 25 adjustably, by means of a clamp 24, so that the device may be readily applied to vehicles vof different design,

and the guides 19 and 2l may be secured iin any convenient'position upon the side-frame member 5, orjupon other parts of the vehicle. In some cases a single guide will sufce in place of the two guides illustrated.

It is essential for the safety of the operator that ythe time ofignition of the engine be delayed'when the engine Order to prevent the possibility ofa backkick on the'starting-'crank- To insure such delayed ignition, I embody', inv connection hereinbefore described, a device for automatically adjusting the engine, to Vdelay the ignition when the starting-mechanism is started, in.v

is employed. As a simple device for accomy plishing-th'is purpose, Fig. 1 illustrates a cord or other suitable connection'` 26, which secured adjustably, at one end, to thc 'flexible member 18, by means of a clamp 27. The other endv of the connection 26 is 'fixed to the ignition-timer 28 of the engine. This timer. is ordinarily connection 29, by the usual manually-operable devices for this purpose, and the ilexiblc connecting-member 26 does not interlt'erey with the normal movements of the timer. When the flexible member 18 is pulled, however, t-o engage thev clutch-members 11 and 13, the 'connecting-member 2G acts to move the timer to its position of delayed ignition, unless the timer -has previously been lso moved by means of the connection 29, and itis thus impossible for the timer to be in the position 'of advanced ignition .when the starting-crank is in operative connection with the engine.

lt will be apparent that, by locating the guide or guides for the flexible member 1.8 at the front of the vehicle, and at one side of the brought to a position where it may be conveniently operated with the left hand, while the rightl hand is employed in turning the starting-crank, the handle 22 is handle 22 as a sleeve adapted to receive the crank-handle 8, I dispense with the usual device for this purpose, comprising a sleeve I connected with the side frame-member by a strap, and thus the flexible member and the sleeve 22 perform a double function. rIhis arrangement conduces to the convenience of the operator, since the sleeve 22,

when withdrawn from the crank-handle, is

retained in the hand while the crank is operated, and thus the manipulation of the mechanism is simplified.

I am aware that arrangements have been previously proposed in which the startingcrank is so connected with the ignitionmechanism of the engine that the operation of pressing the crank rearwardly into connection with the engine-shaft moves the ignition-apparatus to a position of delayed ignition, but the effect of such an arrangement is to further increase the difficulty of so moving the starting-crank, which it is the object of the present invention t-o avoid,

- and so far as I amaware it is novel to employ a manually-operable member located conveniently adjacent to, but independent of the starting-crank, and so connected as to perform the double function of adjusting the ignition-mechanism and throwing the starting-crank 'nto opertaive connection with the engine.

I claim 1. In combination with a motor-vehicle lprovided with an internal-combustion engine and a starting-crank, clutch-mechanism for temporarily connecting the startingcrank with the engine-shaft to start the engine, a spring for holding said mechanism normally in inoperative position, and means for throwing the clutch-mechanism into operation comprising a handle, a flexible member connecting the handle with the clutchmechanism, and a guide for the flexible member locatedat the front of the vehicle and at one side of the starting-crank, whereby the handle is .arranged in convenient position for manual operation simultaneously with the starting-crank.

Q. In combination with a'motor-vehicle provided with an internal-combustion engine and a starting-crank, clutch-mechanism for temporarily connecting the starting- Copies of this patent may be crank with the'engine-shaft to start the engine, means for holding said mechanism normally in inoperative position, a flexible member connected with the clutch-mechanism and manually-operable to throw said mechanism into operation, a guide for the flexible member located at the front of the vehicle and at one side of the starting-crank, and means for normally securing the end of the flexible member to the starting-crank to constitute a holder for the crank.

3. In combination with a motor-vehiclev provided with an internati-combustion engine and a starting-crank, clutch-mechanism for temporarily connecting the startingcrank with the engine-shaft to start the engine, means for holding the clutch-mechanism normally in inoperative position, a manually-operable member located at the front of the vehicle and at one side of the starting-crank in convenient position to be manually operated simultaneously therewith, and connections between said Imanually-operable device and said clutch-mechanism and the ignition-apparatus of the engine, wherebyv said device operates simultaneously to retard the ignition of the engine and to -th'row the clutch-mechanism into operation. n

4. In combination with a motor-vehicle provided with an internal-combustion engine, a starting-crank for the engine movable toward and from the engine-shaft, c0- operating clutch-members on the crank and the shaft for operatively connecting the crank and the engine to start the latter, a bell-crank lever connected with the crank and operable to move the crank rearwardly to throw the clutch-members into or out of engagement, a spring connected with one of said parts and operating normally to hold the clutch-members out of engagement, a flexible member connected with the bellcranklever to move it in opposition to said spring, a guide for the flexible member located at the front of the Vehicle and at one side of the starting-crank, and a sleeve fixed PERCY IV. HODGKINSON.

IVitnesses D. GURNEE, L. THON.

obtained for ve cents each, byA addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, .D. C. 

